About a week ago I received an invite from a vendor I am working with to go to Sea Island, GA. With a guest. Completely on them. It looks beautiful and sounds so amazing. I wish my conscience thought the felt the same way. All I can imagine when I try to think about saying yes, is sitting in my advertising ethics class in college and I just can’t bring myself to RSVP. I wish I felt ok about going, I’m sure the weekend would be so fun!
Categories: Advertising · Trips · Work
-I will get to see Becca (college roommate) for the first time since her wedding (over 2 years ago)
-Tailgating
-Bats!
-To be inside a college football stadium
-To see my two alma maters play each other
-To see my family…and Athena, who’s pretty much included in that
-TRUDY’S
-To walk around downtown
-To run (or maybe more accurately walk) at Townlake
-To go to the dentist – weird, I know
-To send myself things from home that I want
-To see old friends
-To wear my half and half shirt
-For all of the times I will smile over the course of the weekend
-And let’s be honest – to take a break from “the daily grind”
Categories: Trips
I took the weekend off and tried to get away this weekend. I went out to Montauk with some friends to clear my mind and get away. From everything. It was so nice to just lay on the beach. I did, however, get a bit restless because I’m so used to always being on the go and having things I need to get done. It was nice to bbq and have bon fires on the beach. It was even nice to be able to drink without worrying about whether it would keep me from being productive the following morning. I definitely needed that, but I think I could have stood another 2 or 3 days on the beach.
I still thought about work and other things most of the weekend and could feel my heart rate increase as those things came to mind. Too bad I couldn’t clear my mind completely. Oh well, I tried. I’m definitely so glad I went!
Categories: Trips
These are some of my favorite pictures from the trip I took to LA last fall. It was my first time out there.
This is right before the fires got really bad in and around LA, so the haze is the smoke from the fires in the valley.
This is probably my favorite picture from the whole trip, or close to it. I love that this bird seemingly got confused.
Categories: Inspiration · Photography · Trips
This was taken in a beautiful August evening in my hometown in Michigan.
This was taken while visiting Austin during the last week of December a couple years ago.
These were taken during a trip to Italy with two great friends. My last spring break trip.
I love that in this last picture no two sets of shutters/windows are the same.
Categories: Inspiration · Photography · Trips
Friday, tbf and I went to the Oprah show. His sister works there and got us tickets. It was a show without guests in the studio which was a little weird.
When you get there, you go through a line where you check your coat (anything you take in the studio besides a purse you have to wear – can’t hold – and you can’t take it off). Then you go through a purse check where they go through and basically take out anything electronic and anything you could possible write on or with. They took my book, my DS…everything. They check it and you get it back when you leave the show. Next, you go into a waiting area and sit and talk until they are ready to seat you for the show. They call all the people who are sitting in the floor seats individually and before everyone “else.” The floor seats had a much, much higher concentration of black people/women than the rest of the audience, which the majority of was white.
I think I signed something that says I can’t talk about the show, so I won’t – but I will say all the guests were all “on” via Skype. (I think it’s really amusing that Skype is so big as of late – I learned about it fall of 2005.) The guest also had pretty depressing stories. There wasn’t much that was “inspiring” or “uplifting” about the show. At one point during a “commercial break,” she turned to the audience and said something to the effect of, “I’m so glad the world is so screwed up or I wouldn’t have a job.”
Afterward, Oprah was very talkative. There was some woman who was like worshiping her and kept telling her how she [Oprah] has made it ok for her [the woman] to be a black woman in society and be strong. She kept saying, “Like, you’re Oprah,” and “Don’t you know who you are?” These people worshiped her – very weird. Then there was a girl who stood up and was telling Oprah that she wanted to be her. Oprah said, “but you can’t be me, cause I am. You should be the best you.” She went on to ask her what she wanted to do with her life (she was 23) and the girl told her broadcasting. So Oprah asked what she was doing now and the girl said she was working in engineering. From there, Oprah sort of picked on her about the whole career thing and how she doesn’t think the girl actually wants to be in broadcasting or she would be doing everything she could to be there. She was like picking on her, but at the same time, clearly trying to get her to open her eyes and really figure things out. She then took pictures with the two woman and it was over. Back out to get the contents of my purse and my coat.
All in all it was a really cool experience to get to see how it’s all done and see what all the show entails. I enjoyed myself and would definitely go again. I’m sure that the experience is totally different with a guest physically on the show as well.
Oh, one thing I forgot: At some point during the taping, Oprah said she thinks Michelle Obama is the most qualified person to be the first lady, ever. Really Oprah, ever? Wouldn’t that really have been Martha Washington?
Categories: Celebrity · Entertainment · Events · Trips
So this weekend we (tbf, his sister and her husband) went up to CT to go skiing. We went night skiing again this year, like we did last year. Very fun. I’d have to say I think I did pretty well.
On Saturday afternoon we saw He’s Just Not That Into You. I really liked it. I was surprised that neither Drew Barrymore or Jennifer Aniston had very big parts in the movie. Come to think of it, neither did Ben Affleck. I really liked Justin Long in the movie. He ends up with this girl Gigi, who originally went on a date with his good friend. She was sort of stalking him and ended up talking to Justin Long’s character about it. Then, throughout the movie she would call him for advice on guys. At the beginning of the movie after talking to him she is telling her gf’s about it and tells them that all these girls they know who have a friend who (insert sweet story here) are just the exception and that she (and her immediate friends) are not the exception, they are the rule. At the end of the movie when Justin Long’s character kisses her she says, “I’m not the rule, I’m the exception.” to which he answers, “You’re my exception.” It is really sweet.
I have this theory that all guys are able to become the sweet, caring guy that every girl is looking for, he just has to find the right girl. I’ve always thought this. All guys will stop partying and being ridiculous for the right girl. When I started dating tbf he was not looking for a gf and didn’t want to date anyone. Here we are over a year later and he is the guy I thought didn’t exist. I am his exception. There are no real exceptions, but everyone has their match. Everyone will find that person who is just too good to let go and they will change. I really, really liked that line of the movie because I think it is so relatable and there is so much truth behind it.
The rest of the weekend was nice and relaxing. I knit another project, but I don’t have pictures of it yet. I will try to take some in the next couple of days to post.
Categories: Entertainment · Trips
I didn’t do one of these posts last year and I’m not sure why, but here is a list of things I want to do this year:
Categories: Living · Trips · Wants · Working Out
I went down to Cape May, NJ this weekend. Rented a car for the first time in my life – very exciting. We left about lunch time and decided to find some fast food along the way. We pulled off the highway 3 or 4 times and much to my dismay, it seems that NJ does not believe in fast food. We passed a McDonald’s once which tbf won’t eat. Finally I stumbled apon an Arby’s and by that point it was almost dinner time. Not fun at all.
So we got there about 5 on Friday in just enough time to see a hawk my aunt and uncle had caught right before we got there. We both got to hold it and I think I was the one to release it. Saturday we spend the whole day in the blind with my aunt and uncle. We caught, weighed, banded and measured 4 different kinds of hawks that morning alone. We also saw a few Bald Eagles and a Golden Eagle. It was a very fun learning experience this weekend. To me bird watching and banding is just a really weird family thing that I’ve grown up around and accept. I thought it would be really strange to tbf, but he actually got in to it and enjoyed the experience. It’s really cool to catch hawks, I must say.
Saturday night we went out to a nice Italian place in downtown Cape May and at the table next to us there was this loud, annoying guy who got louder as dinner (and beers) went along. At one point he started talking about the Texas v. Texas Tech game and how he hoped Tech beat Texas because then Penn State would move into the top 2 and go to the championship. This makes me think he’s the kind of guy who gets a good hand in poker and lays down his cards, only to be beat. It’s too early to be sure your team is going to go to to the championship just because they are in the top 2. To be honest, I wanted Texas to win, because I don’t think Tech can go to the championship, and on the off chance that they did manage it, I don’t think they’ll win. I think Texas could. So Tech won – Texas clearly didn’t want it – they didn’t show up to play. I’m happy for Tech, that’s awesome for them, but sad for Texas - and this divide is something I’ll have forever having gone to both schools. Last nigh the BCS rankings came out and I have to say that I am just SO happy that the guy at dinner Sat night was wrong and Penn State is still number 3. Tech is number 2 – Wreck em!
Sunday we went to a different blind with my aunt and uncle that overlooked a marsh and caught more birds. Fun! Getting back to NY was such a pain. Driving the NJ Parkway was no problem, but once we got through Staten Island and Brooklyn into Queens it was damn near impossible to get to my apartment. It took us an hour to drive 4 blocks because all the roads were blocked off for the marathon. We went in so many circles and followed so many wrong directions before finally finding the one road we needed that made it possible to get to where I live. That’s all there was. Only one possibility. So frustrating when the police standing all around are jerks and won’t help you out (read: give incorrect directions).
Anyway, that was my weekend. I know my thoughts are totally fragmented and random. Eh, so be it.
So I spent the last 4 days in LA visiting a friend from school. I took the red eye back last night and I am exhausted. I had enough time between landing to go home, drop my stuff, shower and come to work. I haven’t uploaded any of my pics yet, but I took some really cool ones. I got in Thursday night about 9. Didn’t really do anything that first night - just got dinner and passed out. The next day I went to a shoot in the valley and froze. It was windy and chilly. That afternoon I got an ultimate cheese burger from Jack in The Box. It was awesome! We spent the evening at the beach taking pictures of us holding the sun until it set. We watched the waves and hung out. I’ve never spent a significant amount of time on the beach, so I’m like a little kid watching the waves.
On Saturday we got up at 7 and went to Mr. Pocket’s – where the Texas Exes go to watch games – where we watched an incredible game between Texas and OU. It was so entertaining and loud and exciting. Texas won and is now ranked #1!!! From there we went to Busby’s in Hollywood to watch the Texas Tech v. Nebraska game. Tech almost lost and the game went into overtime, but they ended up pulling it out and staying at #7 in the polls. That night we went back to the beach and had a bonfire. We watched the waves for a long time and it was so nice out there! Oh, and we saw a crab. Crabs on the beach totally amuse me and I really wanted to see one, so there you go.
Sunday we went to Malibu so I could see it and we walked along the beach. When we got there we started walking south, but then I saw a fin out a bit past the surfers. I asked my friend – is that a dolphin or a shark? She said if it were a shark, you’d see a little more of a reaction from the surfers. It ended up being a whole family/school/whatever the correct term is, of dolphins, so we turned around and walked north to follow them. I’d told my friend from the minute I stepped off the plane that I wanted to see dolphins and she said it wasn’t going to happen. Well, guess what - it did! There was a little baby one that jumped out of the water a couple of times. So cute! “Hey guys, look at me!” The dolphins had to be following a school of fish which the pelicans and other birds were also following. The pelicans kept dive bombing into the water. It was totally entertaining – you would see this big splash and then next thing you know the pelican was just sitting there chillin out on the water. We walked until we couldn’t see the dolphins anymore, decided to go to the end of the beach and then headed back. We then got Taco Bell. I love eating all the crap I don’t eat here when I go somewhere to visit! Sunday night I got a migraine and fell asleep early.
Yesterday we went to The Counter for lunch. It’s a sort of build your own burger place. It was really good. Then we went up to the Hollywood sign and the observatory. Very pretty from there, but the city is so gross. I literally couldn’t see the city through the smoke/smog. LA was definitely not what I expected. It’s much older and dirtier. Definitely not jumping to plan my next trip out there. I took the red eye back last night/this morning, couldn’t sleep and now I’m just trying to stay awake through the day. Maybe I’ll post pics soon. Definitely of the 2 hats I made while I was there!
Categories: Trips
